Cole had hoped to become the first full-back to reach 100 England caps during this month’s World Cup double-header before an ankle injury prevented him making the trip to Chisinau.

Therefore, two and a half years after his international debut against Egypt, Baines is set to make his first competitive start.

Yet the Everton man knows his place is only temporary if Cole recovers for the visit of Ukraine to Wembley on Tuesday night.

‘Ashley has been fantastic over the years,’ said Baines. ‘It has been difficult for anyone to get a look in.

‘The main thing, for club and country, is his consistency.

‘He is one of the first names on the team sheet because he is such a reliable performer. [Ashley] is an eight out of ten minimum every week and we often depend on him.

‘He is someone, for the rest of us, for Ryan [Bertrand] and myself and Kieran Gibbs, who is not in the squad but is a young left-back coming through, to look at and try to learn from.’

Cole’s absence is just one injury blow England boss Roy Hodgson has suffered in the build-up to tomorrow’s game.

Most damaging is the gashed thigh that rules Wayne Rooney out.Fellow striker Andy Carroll has been sidelined by a hamstring strain, whilst Gareth Barry has still not recovered from the groin injury that caused him to miss out on Euro 2012.

‘The depth of the squad is going to be tested,’ said Baines.‘There are a lot of players missing but we still have a strong squad and it is well capable of winning these two games.’

And that would be the perfect start to what Baines regards as the real beginning to Hodgson’s tenure as manager.

‘We’re getting the benefit of Roy’s experience in preparation now.,’ said the 27-year-old. ‘The structure sets the team up by.

‘The situation before was slightly different because of the changeover of manager before a tournament, which wasn’t ideal. Now it starts properly.’